


Behemoth Form, Humane Vitality

by MaddieMare



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death (of course), Child Annie Leonhart, Child Eren Yeager, F/F, F/M, Titan Categories are Hard, Titan-Haired Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-04-23 20:44:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14340552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieMare/pseuds/MaddieMare
Summary: During the Battle of Trost, an abnormal titan aids the humans in their battle for survival, leading to the first-ever victory for humanity against their colossus enemies.What is wrong with this abnormal? Why does it refuse to binge its stomach with humans like regular titans?The brunette researcher pulled the pencil from the journal's surface and before her.A low whine escaped the 15-meter titan's serrated jaw. It's crossed emerald green eyes glowed in the darkened courtyard and basked over the head of the section commander.The scout placed the pencil back onto the pages, a small grin growing as she stared forward."Tapetum lucidum too huh... you really are something, Rogue."





	1. Just Another Day in Trost

**Author's Note:**

> Long story short, I fell into Attack on Titan hell; and I love it. 
> 
>  
> 
> So yeah, alternate universe, stuffs different. And I mean a lot of stuff.

 

Just yesterday, the 104th Cadet Corp, had just finished their three-year training in preparation to stand off against titans. The titans, mindless, flesh-craving, deformed and sickening humanoid beings that have only one desire in their somewhat internal lifespan. Humans.

The 104th Cadet Corp, ordinary people of all backgrounds, trained long and hard. Guided by veteran Scouts, taught all knowledge of titans, faced the hardships of nature's patterns and last-minute arrangements, the graduation was the gift to them by their mentors, saluting them on their final destination; their choice in the corps.

Most sane people would choose the Military Police, a reassured ticket to a life of leisure and far away from the voracious titans. However, such future could only be obtained if one worked laboriously for it. More specifically, one would need to reach the Top Ten Graduate Class.

If not, then one could choose between the Stationery Troops, thankfully another corp assigned behind the walls. But ever since Shiganshina, it fails to restore full security in those who choose the Garrisons. 

The other option though considered an intrepid and idiotic act, the Scouting Legion. Soldiers, both suicidal and bold, charge into the world outside the walls, contaminated by the millions of Titans waiting to bit off their heads. The expeditions never fail to disappoint the behemoths, filling their stomachs with soldiers that leave numbers of families in tears and drastic loss of men and women in the Survey Corp. Some chose to admire the brave scouts; others call out their failures, shaming them for their countless failed attempts and the sacrifices that lead to nothing. 

So, what would the soldiers of the 104th Cadet Corp choose?

\-----

“Mikasa, Armin, hurry up, it's them!"

The freshly certified soldier followed the voice of his colleague, his childhood friend accompanied him through the crowd of eager bystanders. 

They managed to squeeze to the front of the masses, standing side by side with fellow uniformed-clad allies. 

"Look, there's Captain Levi!" A slender-figured girl cried out, pointing to one of the Scouts on horseback. If said addressed Scout heard her, then he paid no mind, but the devotee soldier, along with her fellow teammates, plaudits the Scouting Legion as they advanced down the street and into the world past the wall. 

"Now that's what I call a corp! This reconnaissance mission is gonna be a breeze!" 

"That be us with those capes, Clay!"

Woo-hoo, go Levi!”

"Mina quit fangirling, it's embarrassing!"

The charcoal-haired soldier smirked at the tan-skinned man holding a petite red-head in his arms. "Oh yeah? You two snuggle whatever chance you get! You don't think that's embarrassing?"

The tall soldier's face deepened in skin tone. He turned his head to the side as his lover shamefully shrieked out "Mina" as she covered her face with her hands, hiding her burning blush. 

Armin forced a smiled at the banter before shifting his gaze back to the Survey Corp. Tomorrow, they'd finally get into the Scouting Legion. They've been training years for this moment and here they were, right at its doorsteps. 

Being nervous was an understatement, Armin was absolutely terrified. Willingly going up against the titans, humanity's worst enemy, he knew it was suicidal. But he was joining for a good cause, to reclaim the world stripped from humanity hundreds of years ago. So that man can rebuild their race and unfold the civilization that has been stalled for centuries. But most of all, to be by his friend's side, Mikasa. 

Mikasa, the blonde turned his gaze to the Asian soldier. His one and only dear friend since their adolescence. Though the two differed greatly personality-wise, they always had each other’s backs. Mikasa, taking down his childhood tormentors, and him, showing her the world outside the walls via through books. Perhaps that's what sparked her determination to enlist in the military, to join the Survey Corp. Or...it could be due to Carla's-

Armin's breath hitched, he tore his gaze off the girl and into the passing Scouts. 

No... he had not witnessed Mrs. Jaeger's passing. However, just the state of the orphaned girl once the two reunited on the river barge was enough for Armin to retch in horror. Mikasa had been through so much already in her young life, beholding her parent's murder, almost sold into the black market for the sick pleasure of others, and now losing a family for the second time. 

Well not entirely, Mikasa still had one more person in her life she could consider family besides Armin, Doctor Grisha Jaeger. 

It's been a miracle that they've been able to see the widower a few times since the breach. Most often, their reunions were a mere coincidence as the Doctor would perform monthly checkups on the trainees as the newly promoted chief physician of the military. 

Still, it was refreshing to have something from the past present to this day. Doctor Jaeger's calm and collected voice was always successful in easing the young trainees through their hard years of preparation in the Training Corps, mainly Armin. 

It wouldn't be a lie to say that Grisha was indeed troubled for the well-being of his adopted children once they took on the Titans past the walls, but he never did try to stop them or tear them away from their choices, he let them choose and decide their fate. But he knew that in taking on the Survey Corp, they would have two paths for their end; a life of respect and honor as they tore down their enemies, or a blood-feasted death in the jaws of a titan.  

Either way, he stood by and let the two choose their fate.

“Armin,”

The boy turned to his addresser, meeting her lull, ebony eyes locked on his own hazel orbs.

“are you scared?”

"W-why are you asking me?" Armin squeaked, feeling his face flush violently. "You already know the answer to that!"

The girl remained silent, drawing her gaze from the flustered blonde, she let her eyes fall back to the last passing corps. 

"I'm scared too you know." She stated. 

"Wait, what!" Armin blinked in disbelief. Mikasa, the definition of apathy, scared? That was as believable as a non-ravaging titan. 

"I'm scared that I'll lose you, or Dr. Jaeger." Mikasa said softly, tugging her red scarf over her face. “Promise me you won’t die once we join the Survey Corp.”

"...M-Mikasa-"

" _ Ackerman, Alos, Arlet, Blouse, Carolina, Fischer, Linke-Jackson, Maoer, Springer, and Wagner _ ; you're all tasked with cleaning out the cannons near the gate! If you are not present within five minutes, you can bet your ass you'll be  _ scrubbing the toilets _ !" 

Armin and the other trannies watched the higher up with a clipboard stride back to the supply depot. With the commander out of earshot, few of the cadets vocally released their "enthusiasm" for their new assignment.

Mina, however, seemed to have other plans to lift her comrade's spirits of the misfortunate duty allotted to them. So she began by whipping out her 3DMG gear, catching many by surprise.

"M-mina! You're not supposed to use your gear outside of training! Do you  _ want _ to scrub the toilets?!"

"Do you really think we'll make it to the walls in under five minutes? Besides," The cheerful girl smiled innocently. "what's the harm in a little training? Last one there's a disintegrating titan!"

And like that, her 3D maneuver gear tossed her away, flying her through the air and closer to the fifty-foot wall.

"MINA!" Thomas shouted after the girl but was paid no heed. He gritted his teeth, but it was hard to determine whether it be a whimsical manner or one of offense. 

"Well," The soldier scoffed, drawing out his own gear. "first one there gets to pummel said titan!"

"Heh, y-you're joking about that, r-right Thomas?" Armin laughed weakly. If his friends were doing what he thought they were doing, then they'd all be scrubbing the toilets for sure. But when the selected cadets began following the latter's actions, his forced smile crumbled entirely.

"Are you guys serious?!" The deplorable teen squawked. "Y-you just said w-we'd be-"

"-If we get there fast enough, Armin," Thomas replied confidently, his skeptical smile unnerving the smaller boy further. “and I'm not letting Mina's big mouth go unchecked. We'll beat her at her own game."

With a cheer from the other trainees, they were all launched into the air. Plebeians in the crowd gawked in awe at the new members of the military flying off to the great wall. Some of the younger personalities even cheered them on, believing they too were on an audacious mission past the man-made barrier.  

Armin remained where he stood, watching with wide hazel eyes his airborne comrades soar through the air. Oh, they were going to be in so much trouble!

The winding of metal cable snapped the strategist from his anxious thoughts. Mikasa was already loading her gear and moments away from firing herself away. 

"Mikasa! Not you too!"

She turned to him with a stolid expression, though her words said otherwise. "Come on, Armin, you don't want to get in trouble now do you?"

His retort was caught in his throat as the girl zipped into the air, tossing herself gracefully from building to building. 

Transfixed to the acrobatic being, he shifted in place, body unable to get any read from his frenetic mind. Eventually, Armin let out a moan of defeat as he pulled out his gear. With a few clicks, he too was shot into the heavens and sailing through the district of Trost in the direction of its great wall.

\-----

“Heads up, the main unit of the Scout regiment is back!”

The onlooker's upbeat exclamation rallied a roar of joy in the crowd as said regiment made their view from down the street. 

“Commander Erwin, did you kick those ugly bastard’s asses?”

The blonde carried his steady trot, never bidding any comments to the optimistic crowd inquiries and applause. 

The Survey Corp advanced onward, never responding to the civilians and new trainees on the sidelines as they cheered on and queried amongst themselves.

"How many titans do you think he took out?"

"Probably a hundred!"

"Go get em, commander!"

"Look, there's Captain Levi!"

All eyes basked the short captain as the crowd's praises became uproars of ovation and delight. 

“I hear he’s a one-man army.”

“Go, Levi, I believe in you!”

“We need more heroes like him.”

“Woo-hoo, go Levi!”

The scout focused forward on his horse, never bothering to make eye contact with the mob. If they kept on squealing like pigs, he didn’t see the problem in sticking his head in the jaws of a titan to avoid the obnoxious noises around him.   

"He'll kick all those titan asses, don't ever doubt it!"

“Tsh, spare me please.” The man rolled his eyes. Honestly, did these people think he was a god? He'd call humanity doomed for sure if they started a cult for him like those Wallist for the three walls.  

What was he kidding, humanity would always be doomed to their stupidity. 

“Ouch Levi, that scowl will crush your fans. You might want to lighten up a bit.”

The captain glanced boredly over at the brunette section commander besides him, grinning carelessly. By the walls, he hated that look.

"I mean," The scout continued. "I know it isn't any of my business, but-"

The horse and scout besides the titan fanatic jogged forward into the march, leaving said scout to eat her dust. 

Rather than aggrieve the researcher, she let out a howl of a laugh. Not her mad scientist cackles, but a jaunty one. Either way, none were ever truly sane. 

"Aw, come on Levi, one day I know you'll need to use my advice!” She raised her hand and struck it against her horse's rear. The animal let out a bellow before galloping forward. The horse and its rider dashed forward through the march, causing chaos to pursue within the Scouting Legion.  _ “Better late than never, Levi!” _

_ “HANJI!!” _


	2. Views of the Breach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter turned out longer than expected. Probably has a lot of errors that I'm too lazy to fix.

 

"What do you mean you're joining the Scouts? You thought said the MP was your goal!"

"Sheesh Armin, can't a guy change his mind?" The questioned teen retorted, continuing his task of scrubbing the cannon's base.

"I think Mikasa's speech yesterday lit a fire under him." A voice suggested. Mina, who was allotted to a cannon stationed to Armin and Mikasa's left walked over to the group, arms crossed behind her back.

The blonde mouth fell agape as he turned his head to his friend behind him. Mikasa never looked up from her work or even reacted to Mina's words. He returned his attention to the shaved-head teen when he produced an abashed growl.

"Ain't nobody talking to you!" The short teen argued. He pulled away from the cannon, displaying a light shade across his cheeks. "She had nothing to do with it! Seriously, can't a guy change his mind!? Get off my back!"

Mina giggled as Connie turned back to his work, grumbling shamefully to himself. But it seemed as though luck was on the boy's side when Thomas walked over to the group, a shy smile present on him.

"Take it easy Connie; you aren't the only one."

Armin froze in disbelief while the pony-tailed girl beside him beamed happily. How were Mikasa's words able to convert them? Could they relate to her in a level, or did they just not want to look like cowards?

"Oh please, stop trying to put on an act. It's only going to end with you getting eaten."

"Ymir!"

The gathered trannies turned to the two girls, Ymir and a pouty Krista. The two were an unusual duo; one could say complete polar opposites. But nonetheless, they seemed to enjoy the other's presence despite their one-sided feelings.

"Whatever," The freckled girl said, ignoring Krista's stare. "it's your choice, not mine. Feel free to be anonymous heroes until your head gets bitten off. Even then, you are just a herd of cattle awaiting death in the slaughterhouse with or without that clock."

"Ymir, that's enough-”

"-Hey guys!"

The trannie's eyes landed on the skipping brunette, or as everyone liked to call, Potato Girl.

Most stared at her with suspicion. Because as everyone knew, the only reason for Potato Girl to ever present such a triumphant expression was if she found a bonanza of celestial food.

Armin just hoped she hadn't raided the kitchen again.

As the girl drew closer to the group, the boy could see her cheeks dyed a light rose and the crystal twinkle of saliva leaking from her quivering mouth.

Oh no, whatever she took, it must be worse than that from the kitchen.

"Can you guys keep a secret?" The girl said childishly. "Cuz I totally just helped myself to the officer's pantry!~" And like a magician revealed to the gathered teens a ration of spicy meat given only to the privileged veterans of the military. And like a child, she only giggled drunkenly at her crime as her fellow soldiers froze in horror.

Each teen was voiceless from shock and dread, asides from Mikasa and Ymir who remained biased through the drama, though Ymir was likely cursing the Potato Girl under her breath.

Armin was the first to break free from the state. "S-Sasha! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Yeah you idiot, they can throw you in the clink for that!"

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

"Pfff, what isn't wrong with her."

Sasha simply smiled at Ymir's remark and put on a sheepish smile. One that greatly unsettled that skittish blonde as the girl began to flush and drool heavily.

"It'll be fine;" She reassured eerily. "I'm willing to share. Oh, can you imagine the sandwiches!?"

Her fellow recruits could only stare as she shuddered in pleasure at the thought of the lost dish.

"Put it back Sasha!" Connie ordered, thoroughly creeped out by the girl's erratic behavior.

"Yeah!" Mina added, sweat forming on her brow. Armin himself couldn't help but groan pitifully. "Sasha, if you aren't going to put it back, at least try to keep it hidden for now."

"Yeah, don't drag us down with you!"

Sasha waved her free hand reassuringly. "Okay, okay, fine." She walked over to a wooden crate and thoughtfully placed the sausage inside. "If you guys keep this a secret for me, I'm willing to share."

"Are you done yet?" Ymir barked from her position far left from the collected teens. "Mina, Sasha, quit slacking and start your job! Or else the officers will force you two into cleaning duty."

"Oh, sorry Ymir," Mina exclaimed returning to her abandoned cannon. "come on Sasha!"

The brunette stumbled to her feet before pursuing after the pigtailed teen.

The meat fiasco drama died down between each trannie as they continued on their task of cleaning the cannons. The top of the walls dead of sounds, the only exception at this point being the howling wind high above the earth and the squeaking of washcloths against the metal artillery.

Armin looked down upon the city of Trost, ignoring the wild waves of golden locks brushing against his face.

So this was it. Tomorrow, they would be freshly graduated Scouts; and then, they'd be able to venture past the walls and into the unexplored world beyond. They'd finally see the world captured within his old books, to view all the wild breeds of animals and flowers, they could finally see the water of salt - the ocean. But a look into this new world wouldn't come free. To bring this forgotten memory of life back into humanities grasp, they would have to fight for it, to slay all the titans that held that dream over their heads. He could do this, they all could do this. They were going to win this battle for humanity!

A thunderclap rang in the air behind Armin and reverberated overhead of the Trost district. It was followed a heated breeze gathering sweat in his uniform. But the oddly tepid flurry traveled like a steadfast passage of air similar to that of heavy breathing.

The atmosphere atop the walls went still and heavy, not one soul dared to move - their eyes transfixed on the colossal form which stood an additional ten meters of the fifty-meter wall. It glowered intensely at the humans under its view - observing their state of shock.

Armin could practically hear his heart pound against his chest at a rapid speed, threatening any moment to tear away from him. The bob cut’s jaw trembled momentarily before a shrill, blood-curdling scream escaped his dry throat.

His cowardice shriek ceased as a surge scorching steam fell upon the soldiers.

They all bellowed from forceful impact driving them off the wall's surface and straight towards the city below.

The majority of the plummeting trainees acted quickly and sufficiently, aiming their grappling hooks to the wall’s side and successfully suspended themselves on the broad structure vertical exterior.

However, the same couldn't be said for those few who were rendered immobile both physically and mentally. Those who happened to be standing closest to the Colossal Titan's reappearance were left with severe scorches all over their bodies. Several recruits befell unconsciousness from the intense steam, making them a victim of heat stroke, or were unfortunate to have some sort of heavy impact with flying debris. And then there were those who were rendered useless by shock and terror, their frame's deadened as they dived limblessly with gravity.

Muffled buzzing rang through Armin’s ear as he gawked the sapphire sky over him. Strands of clouds across the sky-blue canvas stretched into slivers as he fell. The boy could hear the staggered screams of his friends around him, yet so distant. But his mind refused to process their outcries - it refused to process anything. He was just a speck of dust, nothing of any value that just so happened to get knocked off the shelf. But, why did part of him-

A swift uplift of force ended his inevitably fall to the earth. As his senses returned, he could feel the refreshing flow of oxygen enter his windpipes. His lead limbs were restored to flesh as the boy could feel remnants of the smoldering steam warm his body unnaturally. He could see the world swirling around him before meeting cool shade of the wall's side.  

Armin's eyes flew in all directions. The boy saw his comrades hanging on the wall as well, all with petrified expressions. To his far right, he spotted the unconscious figure of a dark-haired teen, Samuel, was dangling mid-air with a hook implanted deep into his lower calf. The one keeping the comatose trainee from meeting the earth's surface was Sasha, her face contorted with concern and distress as she stared the injured boy.

"Armin."

The blonde looked up to his savior, Mikasa, who held onto him tightly bridal style. If it were under any other circumstance, Armin was sure to have a squawked in mortification.

"Are you okay? Are you in any pain?"

The boy shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. I just feel heavy is all."

Mikasa parted her lips but was cut off by the frantic yelling of Connie.

"Oh god, it's happening again! It broke the damn gates! They're going to get in; _they're going to get in!_ "

_They're going to get in!_

Those words continued to play in his head as Mikasa shot herself back to the top of the wall. She dropped Armin to his feet, who managed to keep his ground, and swiftly wielded out her iron bamboo blades. The girl took her stance, shielding the wide-eyed boy behind her and glowered stoically at the skinless titan eyeing her from the corner of its view, each inaudible as they stood by for the other's movement.

Armin could feel his breathing picking up again. What did Mikasa intend to do now? There was no way she would be able to take out the fifty-meter behemoth! Not even the Elite Scouting Regiment could take it out without the aid of over thousands of soldiers!

The cowardice boy caught sight of a few of his fellow militants that were brave enough to return to the crest. Thomas, Connie, and Krista, they all had expressions of dread.

And Ymir? She seemed to have the worst of it! Her eyes were wide with frenzy, her lips and figure jerked the longer she gawked at the titan.  

"...y-you...” The freckled girl faltered breathlessly, which in turn gained her a confused glance from Krista.

"Ymir?"

"...you... _BASTARD_!"

A hiss of gas expelled from the cynical soldier's canister, launching her high overhead of the Colossal Titan. She had already seized upon her blades and gripped them tightly as she free-falled, so much so that the handles threatened to crack in half.

" _YMIR_!"

“WHAT IS SHE DOING?!”

“ _Ymir, stop!_ ”

Armin could only watch in horror as the Colossal Titan slowly veered it's attention to the brown-haired trainee and clutched its massive hand into a fist - one that, if a successful blow, would most surely wipe a human being to dust.

What was Ymir doing? She never showed any interest in the Colossal Titan before, so why the sudden change in attitude?

Mikasa, taking the distraction to her advantage, expelled forth. Ignoring the cries and pleas of her comrades, she traveled up the arm of the skinless being who's cold eyes pried away from the heated brunette and onto the new opponent.

Good, that was just what Mikasa wanted. Hopefully, she could keep this up long enough for Ymir to get a clean cut of the nape. The girl was already close to the titan’s exposed backside, so she'd let her carry on.

The Colossal Titan's clenched fist uncurled and reached out towards the acrobatic girl. Before it could get her in its grasp, the lolita bob launched herself high into the air, overseeing both the district of Trost and the titan. On the far horizon, Mikasa could see a herd of titans that roamed within Wall Maria advancing towards the opening to the district. Leading the crusade was none other than the Armored Titan itself, jogging forward in the same style it had used to breach the gates of Maria.

Mikasa breath hitched. It really was going to happen again. Wall Rose would be breached and then finally Wall Sina. Soon, these walls would be nothing but a reminder of humanity's defeat, a ghost town inhabited by wandering titans.

The trainee looked back down below to the skinless giant, her black eyes enlarged in dread as she watched with one swift, the titan panned its arm across the wall's platform. Cannons, rubble, and dare she say some recruits were driven off the ledge and down. They were now completely defenseless in both weapons and soldiers.

Armin...no, he couldn't be dead! This titan, the Armored Titan, this was no accident, they must've planned it!

A gut-wrenching feeling jabbed at Mikasa's stomach.

These...titans... they have intelligence!

The familiar sound of whirring directed the teenager's focus to a group of trainees that must've escaped the attack. Her eyes caught the flowing of a blonde bob cut soldier.

"Good." Mikasa breathed to herself. She twisted her frame back towards the Colossal Titan but was met with a mass of marble smoke.

"What-"

A massive hand emerged from the heap straight for the girl. It would have succeeded if Mikasa hadn't spotted a clear exit via the beast's wrist.

Escaping her meeting with death, the girl spirals around the titan's arm before aiming her hook on the side of its face.

The being exhaled a cloud of steam at the minuscule penetration to its cheek and immediately raised it's hand to remove it, in hopes of finally ridding the troublesome human.

Mikasa quickly pulled out her hook and re-aimed it to the titan's forehead. She continued to re-aim her position and dodge the titan's meandering hand. Her final aim lodged her hook into the creature's shoulder. She let herself fly around its head; feeling the creature's eyes cast upon her as she rounded to its backside.

It was there that she saw Ymir, with fury in her eyes, scampering up the skinless rear. She launched her hook deep into the Colossal's neck and jets forward. Whipping out both pairing blades and charging straight for the open nape.

“ _I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!_ ”

A jet of burning steam erupted from the nape. Both Ymir and Mikasa cried in shock as they waved in the air, their clasped hooks keeping them from blasting away. However, it didn't take long for Mikasa's wiring to give in as she was bulleted upwards into the air.

A jet of burning steam erupted from the nape. Both Ymir and Mikasa cried in shock as they waved in the air, their clasped hooks keeping them from blasting away. However, it didn't take long for Mikasa's wiring to give in as she was bulleted upwards into the air.

"Dammit." The girl hissed at her now snapped hook. She could only pray that Ymir or someone else nearby would carry her back to the wall. If not, then she’d have to wish that death from falling wasn't as painful as it seemed.

Below her, she heard the angered cry of Ymir. The lolita bob looked down just in time to catch Ymir's swing of blades cleave the smoke and reveal an empty clearing that was once occupied by the Colossal Titan.

The two stared dumbfoundedly, unable to come to terms with reality. The Colossal Titan, it just disappeared!? But how?

Mikasa couldn't draw her eyes away from the titan's forgotten footprints, that, the steam, and the eight-meter hole in the wall was the only remaining proof of the titan ever being present. She only came back to her senses when she felt land upon her feet.

Oh, so it seems that Ymir did help her in the end.

The rarely emotional trainee looked over to the brunette. The cynical girl seemed to be ignoring her gaze as well as covering her mouth with her hand.

"Ymir... are you-"

"MIKASA! YMIR!!"

"Mikasa!"

The two soldier whirled their heads to the sight of two sobbing blondes rushing over to them. Both were encased in hugs and bathed in salty tears.

Mikasa calmly patted the bob cut boy who buried his wet face deep into her garnet scarf.

"M-M-Mik-kasa!"

"Shhh..." She silenced, continually petting his head.

" _YMIR!_ "

Mikasa shifted her eyes to a wide-eyed Krista, her face taking on both rage and desperation.

"You always tell me to be careful and yet you just jump into battle like that? You wanna-be hero _jerk!_ "

The freckled girl winced and cupped her mouth with her second hand seemingly in discomfort. Krista noticed this and immediately settled down, letting her caring nature take over.

"Oh, Ymir did you get hurt? Come on, let's take you to the medic."

Ymir shook her head against it, and before Krista could argue, the surviving trainees landed beside the small group.

"Did you get it?" Thomas urged Mikasa, his words laced with fear and a small ounce of hope. The girl in question simply replied. "No, it's gone."

"What?! How did you let a sixty-meter titan get away?"

"You're saying it vanished into thin air?"

"...something like that."

"LOOK ALIVE!"

All the cadets upon the wall turned to the orders of a Garrison superior settling before them. Each took on their salute stance, silent as they awaited the Garrison's further report.

"Operation Colossal Titan response is in effect. I expect you to take part; report to HQ. If you got close to the damn thing, we need details!"

" _SIR!_ ”

\-----

" _I want everyone split into four squadrons as practice! All squadrons are responsible for supply ready, message relay, and enemy combat under the command of the Garrison regiment! The intercept squadron will be taking the Vanguard!_ "

Armin could feel sweat collecting on his brow. The atmosphere of HQ's courthouse and the demeanor of the Garrisons besides Captain Kitz weren't making things better for the cowardice cadet's mentality.

" _Cadets will be taking the middle guard led by the support squad. Rearguard will go to the elites!_ "

" _I expect you all to man your post, knowing the advance team has been wiped out!_ "

A wave of gasp slipped from the cadet's mouths. Many looked to be on the verge of a breakdown. Some tried to hide the tears threatening to leak from their eyes while others diverted their attention to the ground, their minds appearing to have gone blank.

" _That's right,_ " The Captain continued, almost as if to fuel the upcoming frenzy. " _the other gate is history; the titans are in! This means that the Armored Titan is likely to reappear!"_

Mikasa wordlessly cursed herself upon the mention of the fifteen-meter. She had forgotten to mention her sighting of behemoth parading hundreds of titans their way. She'd have to address this to the Garrison Captain or any other elite. The apathetic girl just hoped it wouldn't be too late by then.

“ _If and when that happens, the inner gate will also be history!_ ”

"...is this real?..."

Armin flinched at the familiar voice of Daz. His voice sounded out of breath and on the verge of breaking into hysteria. The boy tried to block out the following whispers and muffled cries of other trainees.

"This can't be happening.

"This has to be a dream."

"God, what if the bastards manage to break through Wall Rose?"

"Is this the end?"

"Agata, Clay, I can't-"

" _QUIET!_ "

The fearful trainees flinched at the outcry. Once the chattering ceased, the Garrison advanced with his orders.

" _Right, those in the Vanguard be ready! Your mission is a very simple one: defend the wall until the evacuations done!_ "

The sunken-eyed man dipped his head down intimately.  

" _Now, be aware all of you that desertion is punishable by doing!_ "

Sharp inhales from hopeful cadets were heard, but the Captain carried on as usual.

_"If it_ _comes to it, lay down your lives! DISMISSED!"_

“ _SIR!_ ”

Trainees scattered in all directions like fearful rats. A few collapsed right there on the ground and unleashed all the sounds in their minds while others ran to friends for comfort. Those that refused to show any weakness marched on to prepare for their death- missions.

Armin himself couldn't deny that he felt a bit lightheaded, but as Mikasa reassuringly rested a hand on his shoulder, he shook away any ideas of complaining.

The two resided in a small group consisting of a Daz hacking up his breakfast, a comforting Krista, a Ymir watching Krista jealousy, and a Marco consulting a rather pissy Jean.

"Why did this have to happen now," The undercut teen muttered pitifully to his freckled friend. "just one more day and we would've been heading for the interior."

Marco sighed shakingly. "Jean-"

The boy was cut short by the heaving produced by Daz. All cringed at the ever-growing collection of vomit the unstable cadet produced. Krista reassuringly rubbed the soldier's back.

"You going to be alright?"

Daz attempted to get back up, but ultimately fell back forward and regurgitated the rest of the contents in his stomach.

Jean clenched his jaw tight, producing a frustrated hiss. Ymir simply scoffed and redirected her attention from the group of goons.

"Jean, please calm down. Don't do anything irrational! They'll execute you if you-"

"Like hell it matters!" The brunette barked at his friend. "We'll be at death’s doorstep either way!"

Whimpers and muttering prayers grew louder after Jean's outburst, along with Daz's excessive barfing and gross sobs. Armin could feel his own heart pick up pace.

Mikasa, who was glower wordlessly at the ranting teen, stepped forward, earning the attention of most of the group's members.

“Jean," Mikasa asked coldly. "what exactly do you think we’ve been doing for the past three years?"

Jean never answered, supposedly bewildered by the girl's question and sudden interest in him.

"You should be thrilled to join the military - to save lives - not just your own."

Mikasa trailed her eyes to the ground, before bringing them back into Jean's brown pools.

"You can run if you’d like and face execution, or you can put some actual effort to change the world around you for the better. And, if I remember correctly, you even got fourth place in the Top Ten Graduates."

The apathetic girl dragged a sigh.

"You can do this Jean," She encouraged as she began hovering her gaze to the remaining cadets moping about. "you all can. The MP will still be waiting for you tomorrow, so don’t start whining like the brat you tend to be.”

Mikasa's words rang through the melancholy courtyard. She along with the small group awaited Jean's retort. The boy's eyes fell to the stone flooring, teeth gritting against each other before twisting around to the kneeling Daz.

"On your feet, Daz - quit bawling!"

"...okay..."

Mikasa and Armin watched idly by as the small group gathered themselves and proceded to their given teams. Marco and Jean went right, while Krista escorted an ill-stomached Daz to the closest HQ entrance. Ymir laggard silently behind the two.

Armin tilted his head to his dark-haired friend and nearly stumbled back upon seeing her face abnormally close to his.

"Armin,"

The boy's brow sunk at the cold tone of the normally-stoic girl.

"if things take a turn for the worse, promise to come find me."

"What? But Mikasa, we're in completely different squads." The blonde tried to reason.

“Armin, this is going to get ugly and when it does the plan is going to go out the window. And when it does come and find me so I can protect you!”

Oh no, a persistent Mikasa never lead to anything good. "But-"

"-Ackerman,"

Both teenagers turned to the unannounced newcomer. Ian Dietrich, one of the Garrison elite. What was he doing here? Did he want to interrogate Mikasa of the Colossal Titan?

The man kept a stern appearance, his eyes never prying from the proficient cadet. "you're with me. You've been assigned to the rear guard on special orders."

A lump formed in Armin's throat. Wow, seriously? He knew Mikasa was skilled in her works, but he couldn't have expected this to be her first performance on the field. Her status must be more impressive than he first thought.

For Mikasa, however, she looked far from thrilled.

The Garrison elite seemed unfazed by her awed demeanor. "Let's get moving." He barked coldly.

“But-but sir," The dark-eyed cadet stuttered. "I’m a cadet! I’ll slow everyone down.”

“You’re not being asked for a self-evaluation here." The man replied as he began to walk away. "The mass exodus is falling apart. We need as many elite soldiers as possible to get things back on track.”

Mikasa's looked on the verge of frenzy, quickly stepping forward to the vanishing elite “Sir! With all due respect-”

"Mikasa, please!"

The mature female directed her anxious gaze to Armin. The boy had feebly taken grasp of her shoulder, desperate to stop her from opposing the higher up soldier's demands.

"Don't worry about me." The blonde reassured her with a weak smile. "I'll be fine, j-just go."

The girl stared silently at him before clutching both his hand tightly and forced her gaze down to the ground - hiding her face in her old scarf.

"Armin...just, promise me you won't freeze up again when you are out there. Promise me you won't get yourself eaten; promise me you won't die."

Armin's jaw quivered, trying to find the right words to use. The boy withdrew his hands out from Mikasa's grasp and took a step back. The sweat collecting in his palms and beneath his uniform didn't make the circumstance any better.

“I-I don’t know if I can keep that promise, Mikasa…” He gulped.

When the girl didn't react, Armin stiffly advanced into the Garrison's headquarters to prepare for his journey. He didn't dare turn back to the aloof cadet.

\-----

The soundless wind played with Armin's golden strands as he and his squad watched over the abandoned district of Trost. The streets were void of people, only lost belongings and wall remnants laid strewed carelessly about. But what made the deserted city feel eerier was no sight of any sluggish titans ahead of them. Maybe other squadrons had taken most of the giants down, or that the giants just haven't ventured this deep into the walls yet. Oh, how he hoped this situation wouldn't get any direr.

Armin looked over at his teammates. Mina and Thomas stood proudly, their eyes fixated on the district's horizon, determination and preservice glistened in their orbs. In the back of the team of six were Franz and Hannah, the two lovebirds giving each other words of encouragement before their grand brawl side by side. And beside him was a cadet he hadn't had much interaction with back in the Trainee Corp. But what he did know was that the light-brunette was named Annette Torn, no wait, Toarn. Armin could tell that the petite girl was just as nervous as he was judging by the profound quantities of sweat collecting on her face.

"Alright guys, listen up," Thomas spoke out enthusiastically to his comrades. "whoever kills the most titans gets bragging rights!"

Franz smirked slyly. "Pfff, easy.~"

"No fair!" Mina quickly retorted, pointing accusingly at the power couple. "You two are working together! No doubt you'll win!"

“ _Squadron thirty-four, move out!_ " A Garrison soldier shouted from a nearby rooftop. " _The vanguard needs support!_ ”

Thomas and Mina smiled determinedly, taking out their blades and preparing their stance. The rest followed the two's posture, with less bravery though.

"Alright guys," Shouted Thomas, "let's send 'em all back to hell!"

The tall blonde's words were followed by a choir of battle cries. Each cadet leaped off the rooftop one by one and anchored forward their hooks to fly through the city. The air passed through them as they tossed in the air and ran along the crests of forthcoming houses.

Armin could already feel the adrenaline pulse through his body, his breathing becoming heavier as they drove onward. But upon catching his first glimpse of the titan-infested area, all the courage he was able to muster ultimately left him.

Just yards ahead of them was almost twenty to thirty titans in all imperfect proportions trudging mindlessly through the streets. Black smoke thread into the sky from damaged house structures, possibly from the titan's careless trots.

"There's so many of them!" Mina cried out, and like the rest of her group carried a face of fear.

“The vanguard must’ve been completely wiped out!”

"O-oh _god!_ "

"This...this is _insane_ _!_ "

Armin's jaw forcefully gritted shut in terror at the at the sight of a ten-meter crouched unnaturally on a rooftop ready to pounce on them like an engaging cat.

Thankfully, this slip up of Armin's was taken care of by the others who caught glimpse of the distant titan.

“Abnormal! Pull up!” Thomas called out as he veered out the titan's perimeter. All acted on order, pulling themselves up and out of harm's way without another word.

The cowardice blonde’s quick alteration wasn't anything perfect. He almost toppled off the rooftop the group had chosen to hide out on as sanctuary if Thomas hadn't seized him in time.

The atmosphere felt heavy as the squad looked on at the abnormal titan who had latched itself onto a nearby bell tower. The trainee’s shallow breathing seemed forced as they awaited the abnormal's next dicey move.

Then almost hesitantly, the titan perked its head past the tower's edge, directly towards the small team. It's dull eyes glossed the head's of the soldiers before its obscured right arm began to move.

All immediately resorted to their stance of departure, their gear outfitted to launch their user high into the air when the titan would charge at them once more.

Only, the attack never came. Instead, the titan brought its hand out from behind the structure. One could say that the action was that of mockery because all the cadets froze in place upon hitting realization of the ten-meter's sick joke.  

In the mindless giant's grasp was a frail-figure of Hannah. The redhead looked limp and nearly lifeless as she gulped in heavy breaths of air. The simple act appeared to be of great difficulty for her as she was at risk of choking on the blood pouring steadily from her mouth and the constant pain emitting from her crushed ribs.

Armin and his group could only stare with dropped jaws at their friend who was just barely clinging to life. The most shaken out of the five was Franz, who looked to be on the verge of tears as his body shook exceedingly.

Hannah's tired eyes trailed coincidentally to said sorrowful teenager, and for a moment, the ginger's layers of agony seemed released; if not only for a moment from spotting her significant other.

A smile, though forced from the lingering pain, spread on Hannah's bloodied face. Fresh streams of tears quickly dispersed from her eyes the longer she kept up her facade.

"...F...Fr-r _aA_ ns...F _rA_ -"

The titan's grip around the ginger tightened, causing the girl to collapse into its hold like a limbless doll as a flood of blood hurled from her mouth.

No one said a word as the abnormal brought the critically crippled cadet to its chops and swallowed the girl whole; a blotch of currant red painted the ten-meters face. The deviant bid the human remnant no mind as it hopped off the bell tower and proceeded to trotted down the vacant street.

All was silent as the five trainees watched the titan go about its merry way. Shock converged on their faces as they could do nothing but gawk at the death of their fallen comrade. Hell...they didn't even know how to process it.

The unsettling silence in the once optimistic group was finally breached when a yell pure of rage erupted from Franz's mouth. The young soldier leaped off the asylum roof and began traversing the abandoned city at vast speed with his gear; rage, adrenaline, and his gas supply being his fuel for the sweet taste of vengeance.

" _HANNAH!!_ " The stricken cadet cried out as he propelled through the district, successfully dodging each titan that flailed their greedy hands in the air for a human snack.

“ _FRANZ!_ ”

“ _Hey, stay with the group!_ ”

“Oh, GOD!”

The rest of the cadets promptly raced after their anger-fueled comrade; Mina and Thomas taking the lead of the significantly miniaturized squad. Armin and Annette, who flew a few feet behind the two, were still hazed from the traumatic event that had just conspired before them. Both were still distant from their mind. It wasn't until a sickening crunch filled the air, followed by a flash of a titan's hand coated in thick red.

"THOMAS!"

Armin hardly had time to process the swift death of his comrade as Mina was abruptly flung back into the air. Her body flew right past the chicken-hearted duo followed by a hard thud.

Mina, Thomas...oh god, they were both dead! Armin could hear the pitiful sobs of Annette as the two continued flying straight-ahead, the pair deeply entwined in awe and disbelief. If they kept this up, there's no doubt in Armin's mind that they'd get snatched up by a passing titan in no time, and yet he couldn't find the willpower to take cover or anything. The afar screech from Mina and nauseous crunching of flesh and bones against the chops of a titan buzzed loudly in his head, keeping the boy in a trance of fear and rendering him immobile as he flew on.

" _Armin,_ "

The blonde's clenched jaw separated at the familiar voice addressing him. No, Mikasa wasn't here, but why was he-

" _A_ _rmin...just, promise me you won't freeze up again..._ "

Mikasa's promise... the promise he was sure he wouldn't fulfill, and yet...

“ _...promise me you won't get yourself eaten…”_

Armin head shifted to Annette, her face completely drenched in salty tears.

“ _...promise me you won't die._ "

“Annette!”

The girl twisted her head to face him, her pupils visibly shrunken and her noise leaked rapidly. She struggled to take in air, puffing laboriously.

"Annette, come on, focus!" Armin commanded with seriousness, though some shakiness in his voice was hazily present.  

"This is what we have been training for; what do you think the past three years were? Come on, we can both do this if we actually try, not watch from the sideline like the cowards we are! We can fight them!"

_Fight!_

"Come on Annette, fight!"

The light-brunette stared at him in wonder. The weak-willed blonde much like herself had suddenly sparked into a completely different person, almost like her optimistic friend who had dragged her into the military in the first place.

Annette shut her eyes and turned to face Armin with a smile, a smile of hope and trust.

The teenage girl sniffled. "O-okay...let's-"

A raucous crunch discontinued Annette's sentence, followed shortly after by a vulgar odor of rustic metal that infiltrated Armin's nostrils.  

What ensued made Armin's blood run cold as he could do nothing but watch Annette fall head-first into the titan-infested streets below; a stream of crimson red sprinkled from the two stumps that were once her legs.  

Next thing he knew, the boy mercilessly toppled onto the head of a rooftop. Shingles dispersed from their position upon force.

\-----

The swarm of behemoths of all different shapes and sizes had grown significantly. A few selected deviants had taken to sprinting at full blast in hopes of catching up to the strangely-scented Armored Titan leading the charge. Most retained a steady pace, pig-ignorantly after the scent of human ahead of them.

One of the hiking giants, a godly-muscular fifteen-meter, had been one of the previous deviants that ran straight for the armored-clad titan. Unlike its other sprinting kin, the serrated-jawed titan was triumphant in reaching the same velocity as its armored counterpart.

But dissimilar to its kind that would take a bite of anything remotely equal to the stench of human, the behemoth simply looked over the latter as the two jogged onwards side by side, curiosity gleaming in its emerald-green pools.

The intellectual titan even went as far as to try and communicate with the leading titan. From chirping to trilling, it tried every sound it could produce to garner any reaction from jogging titan. Still, no matter what emerald-eyed titan did, the Armored Titan's gaze never crossed it's own.

It was only a matter of time before the giant grew bored and eventually reduced it's vigorous run to nothing more than a steady walk. A puff of steam exiled from its lipless mouth as it looked over its kin in disappointment.   

For as long as the titan could remember, his interactions with his species has always been one-sided. The behemoth would roar at them, shove them, anything it could think of on the spot and it would usually result in the same outcome: nothing. Sure, they might look in the fifteen-meter's direction and stare unsettling at the giant, but that was pretty much it much to the titan's dismay.

However, the titan did recall one specific and bewildering interaction in which it chirped to a strolling ten-meter sporting a characteristic, grinning smile. The ten-meter halted in its tracks and twisted it's head to the latter, much like many others had done before. But unlike any other titan, this one began to advance towards the serrated-mouth titan; its empty, lifeless eyes were nothing but endless voids. But, much like an igniting flame, a spark of life arose within them as it grew closer to the other giant.

As the smiling titan quicked its steps, almost eagerly, the shell-shocked titan made a break for the opposite direction.

Isn't it ironic? The one time that it gets a genuine response from its kind, it's startled and runs away. Too bad the green-eyed titan never saw ten-meter again after that, it was now ready and determined to come face-to-face with the other deviant. Oh, how life can pull at your desires.

A cacophonous crackle penetrated the air, followed suit with a massive golden bolt of lightning struck just before a long, rock-like structure in the horizon; a structure similar to one the green-eyed titan had happened to pass through its enormous fracture not too long ago.

The force of the sudden blast gusted the land around, knocking over trees, overturning valleys of rich grass into nothing but heaps of bare dirt, and drastic numbers of deaths to wildlife roaming near the perimeter at the wrong place, wrong time.

The dark-haired giant faltered at the unforeseen blast; minuscule emerald orbs quivered as they gaped at the uncanny quantity of steam piled before the stretched stones. And what emerged from the steaming curtains won a puny whimper from the intellectual titan, it's elf-like ears flat against its head.  

A titan, skinless and far taller than any it had ever seen of its kind, loomed over the great stone mountain. The undersized fifteen-meter spectated fearfully as the skinless giant brought up one of its legs up slowly behind it and released a mighty blow directly through a sort of wooden barrier at the bottom of the stretched stone.

It then proceeded to plow one of its muscular arms across the surface of the structure, uncleanly severing it's top.

The colossal being then went on to toss its brawny arms in the air around it, punching at what appeared to be nothing.

And then, as mysteriously as the titan appeared, a wave of vapor engulfed its body - never revealing the Colossal Titan again.

The emerald-eyed titan's gaze upon the fading mass of steam never faltered, it couldn't even comprehend what it just witnessed. Why did the skinless giant destroy the elaborate structure? Why did-

The titan caught whiff of a forgotten foreign blasting through the open air like a rushing current from the hole in the stone. It was vague at first, drifting high in the sky just beyond its reach of smell, and resided in the Armored Titan and itself, though the jogging one’s strange scent was much stronger compared to its own. But this was more definite, somewhat like an amalgamation of sorts.

The assembled scents had similarities, but each had some individual features of their own. The serrated-jawed titan could make out some unpleasant odors like of excrement it had witnessed wild creatures produce during days of exploration and the revolting stench of red that would leak slowly or erupt from timid creatures that had the misfortune of stumbling upon a predator path.

But from the puncture in the stone, there were many more scents that caught the titan's highly sensitive snout; many it could never possibly think there to be. Some of the smells were sweet, some made the titan's nose twitch - oh, how the titan wanted to explore these smells! It wanted to see what made these smells and why they were kept away from it behind the great stone structure. It wanted to see what laid behind the wall.

The behemoth's green eyes twinkled with excitement as it revived it's forgotten walk. But it didn't take long for it to develop into a run fueled by curiosity and eagerness like that of a child.

 


	3. Giving an Arm Out to Armin

"Good work, Ackerman; I'm impressed."

As the showers of rain fell upon the city, the two soldiers attended the dicipitation of Trost's civilians filter through the gates and safely out of the breached district. However, this achievement was nearly impaired and could have lead to the deaths of countless lives at the hands of a greedy merchant. Luckily, the rear guard made it in time - or rather, Mikasa made it in time. 

"I did what I could here sir," The cadet answered her superior. "But thank you.”

Mikasa looked down to the two blades in hand. The sheer force applied to the abnormal's nape subdued the weapon's edges, rendering them useless. “However…” She disclosed. “I dulled my blades with a single blow in my rush." She released the blades from their guard handle. "I’ll be more careful next time.” 

As the trainee switched out her blades, Dietrich looked up at the raining sky and back to the girl. “The sooner the citizens of Trost evacuate safely through the gate, the sooner you can get back to that boyfriend of yours. But I would advise you to step back from making such serious relationships in the military; it may lead to both your downfalls.”

With that, the elite Garrison flung himself off the building, swords in hand to take down the next titan that so happen to cross his path, leaving a flustered Mikasa on the rooftop a stumbling mess as words pour messily from her mouth. 

"...w-wh...that's not... we're aren't-"

Her failed creation of words fell silent to the trickling cadence of rain droplets against the flooring and shingles of Trost, drowning out any sound less inferior to the rains natural rhythm. Mikasa succumbed to the rain's victory and silenced herself by draping her cold, soaked scarf over her mouth. 

Armin. A distant yet warm memory flashed within her mind at the mention of the name. Her days in Shiganshina, with the Jaegers, life before Wall Maria was breached. 

_ "...my  _ best _ friend." _

“...why am I remembering this now?...”

 

_ "Is there anything else you'd like Mikasa?" _

_ The black-eyed girl answered wordlessly with a shake of her head. The dark-haired woman smiled genially before sealing the homemade lunchbox shut. She then placed the packed lunch gingerly into the child's hands and went back to preparing a warming cup of herbal tea for herself, the child, and her husband who was seated at the kitchen table looking over his notes for work.  _

_ Mikasa walked to her seat at the table. Placing the lunchbox down beside her, she returned to finishing her breakfast of baked bread with crisp apple slices. Grisha Jaeger lowered the file for his patient of the day and turned to the aloof girl. She bid him no mind, nibbling silently on a fresh loaf whose crumbs fell atop her red scarf. _

_ Grisha smiled softly. The reserved girl's lack of emotion may be seen as disrespectful to some or flat out a sign of mental illness, but to the Jaegers, they saw a young soul who has seen the cruelty of the world at an age that no child should ever be forced to witness. But the soul, even though a husk of her former self, endured the horrors that this world had thrown at her and was now determined to stay alive; to have a happy future with those she loved. And for the current time, those she loved were the Jaegers, her newly adopted parents.  _

_ And boy did she show her determined (protective) side. Such nature of hers was exhibited in an incident in which she and Carla were unfortunate enough to come across a rather drunk individual on their weekly trip to the market. Needless to say, the Garrisons and the passing crowd had a good laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of a full-grown man getting his ass kicked by a nine-year-old; a nine-year-old girl to top off the man’s already popular shame.  _

_ "Mikasa,"  _

_ The girl pulled away from her breakfast to look at the doctor. And though her black eyes always seemed lacking in life, a sparkle would always surface whenever she interacted with the doctor. A strong bond she formed with him on the fateful day she learned of the world's true colors, for he was there to protect her when the world wished to pain her further.  _

_ "...Mikasa," Grisha repeated. "How are you feeling? Are you nervous about going to school?" _

_ The black-haired girl's gaze fell upon her breakfast in thought. "Not really." She replied softly. "I'll be fine." _

_ The man gave a nod, which in turn ended the conversation between the two. Grisha ordered his papers neatly and placed them into his briefcase while Mikasa gulped down the rest of her bread.  _

_ Carla made her way to the table not too long after with a pitcher of steaming tea and three cups. She placed each on the table and began pouring the brew. The first filled cup went to Grisha who thanked his wife and took a slow sip, then Mikasa who nodded her head a blew gingerly at the heated beverage, and finally, Carla took a long sip of her own, leaning back on her chair, enjoying the soothing pleasure of the tea. _

_ The peaceful morning meal came to a close when Grisha got up from his seat and went for his hat hanging from the clothing rack. Mikasa swigged the rest of her now cold tea before getting up herself, carrying her home-made lunch box to the doctor who waited for her by the door. Carla got up and collected the dirty cups and dishes from the table before sending a warm smile to her husband and adopted daughter. _

_ "Goodbye, dear. And Mikasa, have fun in school; try not to get into any trouble!" _

_ The child waved goodbye to the woman before following Dr. Jaeger out the door and down the street of Shiganshina.  _

_ \----- _

_ Though Mikasa had never gone to school, she had a general idea of its concept.  _

_ Instead of being taught individually, like the way she was homeschooled by her mother, a single guardian, a teacher, would supervise the class and teach them the current subject all at once.   _

_ What Mikasa also came to learn was that classes often became quite noisy and loud if the teacher was not present or if the students chose to be impolite.  _

_ That on its own wasn't the most annoying thing to her.  _

_ She quickly came to dislike students that put themselves above others, which had them showing off their dominance by displaying brute force or harsh commentary towards those they deemed unworthy or below their ranking, or plainly if they did not like the appearance of the latter.  _

_ This is where Mikasa found herself amongst the 'bullied' category. _

_ When the aloof girl was first introduced to her classmates, most were quite fond of having a new face in their midst. Others were curious of her exotic appearance. Those curious were categorized into two groups: those that wished to befriend her simply by her rarity or out of the purest childish intentions and those that felt threatened by the crowd she drew or judged her based on her difference in race.  _

_ And that's when the pitiful bickering began.   _

_ The first to come up to Mikasa with a sour tongue was light ash blonde girl with a chignon, one of the few that viewed themselves higher than most. She commented on Mikasa's 'wide range of emotions' and the 'flourishing life' in her black, dull eyes. Much to the girl's misfortune, Mikasa simply ignored her and continued on her schoolwork.  _

_ Just as Mikasa suspected, the bratty classmate grew bored and left her be, avowing how Mikasa wasn't even worth her time in the first place.  _

_ Mikasa was sure that that was the last of the any more pathetic quarrel, but oh was she wrong.  _

_ A trio of cocky boys liked to stop by her desk from time to time or butt into conversations Mikasa would have with some students she could call friends, but not nearly as close. They would give snide remarks or push her books off her desk and walk away cackling at their work. Honestly, it was just aggravating to the girl, but once again, she remained silent. It's not like they were doing any real harm, she wasn't weak anymore.  _

_ But as the boy's teasing continued (still petty things), as well as some minor reappearances from the chignon girl and her friends (even pettier), other students began to notice her lack of reactions to the harsh treatment. Most who socialized with her on a daily basis saw this as courage and maturity; they thought Mikasa was so cool! But others that observed her from afar, or didn't interact with her as much thought she was strange, emotionless, soulless. That's why most students in school chose to ignore and avoid her, asides from her close associates of course. She didn't mind, really; she preferred being left to her own devices nevertheless. _

_ So what if she wasn't the most well-liked, if she lacked many friends, or if people wished the worse for her. Mikasa already knew the world was cruel, and she couldn't change that. Instead, she would focus her energy and strength for things worth to her; protecting her family and building a decent future for herself and her family. That's all she wanted from this grim world forced upon her. _

_ Mikasa’s eyes trailed the ever-familiar stone-paved road that lead to the schoolhouse, a path covered by many of her peers walking together and prattling gaily at this time of day. It has been two months since the girl began school and she still hadn't enlightened her guardians of the unwanted treatment she has been receiving. On the contrary, she managed to persuade them that she was fully capable of walking to and from school by herself without the aid of Dr. Jaeger.  _

_ The stoic girl tore her eyes from the ground as she rounded the block, and immediately ceased her walk. Just down the new street were Mikasa's three pesky tormenters, the ones that would perhaps jostle into her during recess or make rude noises if she would be asking a question to the teacher. But unlike those undersized annoyances, here the trio was now, with brute force backing a peer into the wall, knocking the child's belongings from their grasp and throwing every insult their dense brains could conjure at the cornered child. Whimpers and grunts of pain were the only sounds that the bullied individual could produce from the constant harassment.  _

_ Mikasa's dull eyes were glued lively to the scene before her. Around her, she could hear other students appearing behind her, their voices high in volume one second, but when they caught sight of the display open for anyone to intervene and end the conflict, their voices quickly snuffed as they ignored or watched the scene in silence, not bothering to aid the bullied student.  _

_ A burst of rage and raw power enkindled within the girl, the same kindle she experienced when taking the life of the black marketer strangling Dr. Jaeger.  _

_ Without thinking, she charged forward at speeds almost inhumane and elbowed the taller of the trio roughly to the ground. The shoved boy emitted a vocal holler of pain as he slump to the ground caressing his shoulder, bawling in misery.   _

_ The two other bullies stared dumbfounded at their maimed friend, but quickly broke the trace and redirected their punched from the cornered child to Mikasa. The boys wheezed in fear as immediately their punches were grabbed nonchalantly by the stoic girl. And with a simple turn of their wrist, a putrid crack filled the now silent road followed instantly by the boy's unpleasant shrieks.  _

_ Other children looked on with awe, but utmost terror at the sight of the young girl surrounded by sobbing frames of her tormentors. It didn't take long for them one by one to run off panicked to the school to consult a teacher or get as far away from the dangerous girl as they could. From the corner of her eye, Mikasa was almost certain she saw some of her classmates she had called friends falter but then scamper away in fear.  _

_ Mikasa, however, ignored her fearful peers and marched monotonously to the tormented child cowering against the stone building wall. As she proceeded, the injured boys took the girl's distraction as a chance to run for their lives. They stumbled down the road, crying in pain and garnering the attention of passing townspeople and several patrolling Military Police.   _

_ The stalid child stood mutely in front of the cowering child. She could make out their appearance acutely now. They possessed a bob cut of golden blonde hair, a hairstyle she could only presume a girl would have. Never had it occurred to her that a boy would be content with choosing to possess such feminine looks.  _

_ Well, until today that is.  _

_ There was a pause in the air between the two before Mikasa lowered her hand towards the blonde to help them up; a movement of kindness in her opinion. But it seemed to have been miscommunicated to the latter, who took it as a sign of an upcoming blow to the face. The long-haired girl was never given a chance to ask the blonde "are you okay?" before hurried footfalls along the dirt road redirected both children's gaze to a small group of Military Police personnel charging at them, lead by an older man one could guess was their superior. Trailing behind the group unsettlingly were a few curious onlookers and one of the wounded bullies standing idly by with crocodile tears.  _

_ The old soldier harshly pried Mikasa's outstretched hand from the trembling child with such force it was as if he were restraining a malicious delinquent from mauling all in their path. In this case, Mikasa.   _

_ Two other militants rushed to the weeping blonde's side and helped them up, examining their body for any wounds and keeping them great distance from the addled girl whose hands were being tethered unceremoniously with handcuffed chains. Once the superior seemed satisfied with the securement, he seized Mikasa roughly by the shoulders, paying little care to her audible clamor of his treatment, and escorted her out from the alley muttering scolds and curses at the girl's foul behavior and actions. _

_ Mikasa's eyes refused to leave the ground as the Military Police personal marched her off to who knows where. But the most logical explanation would be to a military office no doubt; jail, a prison cell.  _

_ Isn't it ironic? When someone tries to do something good in this world, like helping someone being harassed or risking your life in the Survey Corps for the good of humanity, the world always finds a way to flip your objectives to the eyes of the rest of society. People will scream slander at you if by some miracle you return alive from beyond the wall, ignorant of the countless deaths you were bound to witness on the Survey Corp lines. Or you'll be viewed in a black and white angle for performing an act questionable to most, and yet they won't ask questions, they'll just jump to conclusion. It's human nature after all.  _

_ As she was carried off, Mikasa tuned out the look of disgust from disappointed plebeian parents, inquiring spectators, her frightened classmates, and the glaring eyes of her maimed tormenters as she was thrust into a military office; prison.  _

_ \----- _

_ She was only in the prison cell for an hour or so. The Jaegers, especially Mrs. Jaeger, burst into the building with hundreds of questions that demanded answers immediately. It wasn't long before the old Military Police personnel that turned Mikasa in, Captain Royall, dismissed the girl’s criminal record as 'self-defense' and 'post-traumatic stress disorder'.  _

_ Good, she thought to herself at first. They at least understand the reasoning behind her actions, or at the very least the sum of them. _

_ However, Mikasa soon came to learn that the school didn't seem to have as much compassion for her as the military did. _

_ She was to be omitted from the schoolhouse for three weeks and upon return, would be taught in a private class to ensure that she would no longer be a threat to other or have her previous tormentors provoke her again.  _

_ What infuriated the girl was the fact that the trio of bullies who started this whole disaster weren't punished in any way! Instead, they were given genial care and words of encouragement for their rehabilitation from peers, family members, and teachers alike. _

_ But, Mikasa didn't comment on the matter any further and went along her merry way back home with her guardians. The Jaegers giving her sympathetic glances as they walked in silence.  _

_ It wasn't so bad, Mikasa concluded on the fifth day of her suspension. Things could've turned out much worse. She could've been outright ostracized from the schoolhouse and labeled as a volatile blight on society.  _

_ The impassive girl sighed as she placed the sud-laminated bowl into the sink for Mrs. Jaeger to rise and dry as the two waited for recently prepared biscuits to bake within the oven. This simple ritual that the two would perform since Mikasa's suspension was calming and beneficial. Mikasa would feel please in both being useful and being able to spend some time with her adopted mother. _

_ As Carla ran her washcloth over the wooden bowl’s surface, she strolled over to the window and peeped out troublesomely. Dr. Jaeger usually returned home from work at around midnoon when he was working within Shiganshina district, but now it was nearly nightfall. What could be keeping the doctor up and about around this time in the city?  _

_ Shortly after, the woman's face lightened with relief. Dr. Jaeger must be making his way up the road. But when the humble housewife's face faltered dumbfoundedly for a second, just before composing herself with a smile, Mikasa now displayed the woman's accidental expression behind her red scarf.  _

_ Mrs. Jaeger gets to the door before Grisha could knock and greets her husband with a smile. Mikasa rinses her suds-coated hands and moves with a plate in hand to the stove slowly cooking leftover dinner. She piles slices of cooked duck and scraps of boiled carrots onto the clean plate, oblivious to her adopted mother’s ongoing greetings.  _

_ When the girl turned around to place Grisha's dinner on the table, she catches a glimpse of her guardians who stood in the hallway chatting jovially with an elderly man possessing ash-grey hair and beard. By the old man's side stood a child much the same age as herself with golden blonde locks standing awkwardly and shooting wary peeps around the house.  _

_ Golden blonde locks...a bob cut...Mikasa had seen this child before.  _

_ "Mikasa," Grisha's voice brought the girl from her thoughts and back into her impassive facade. "This is Mr. Arlet and Armin. Amrin," Grisha looked down at the shy blonde. "Is the boy you defended from those bullies. He and his grandfather came by to say thank you." _

_ Mikasa's gasp was caught in her throat as she stared at the cerulean orbed child who feebly avoided her gaze by either fear or insecurity. So when the dark-haired girl suddenly stomped up to Armin face, the boy understandably recoiled from her.  _

_ Mikasa examined the boy's sweat-covered features intently with dull eyes, getting a clearer view of the preteen now than her previous encounter with them-him. Specific highlights such as the boy's long hair, eyes, face, and less than masculine build made him appear feminine.  _

_ "...you're a boy?..." _

_ "Mikasa!" _

_ The boy's guardian chortled with good-humor at his now red-faced grandson.  _

_ \----- _

_ The Jaegers invited the Artlets to stay for dessert for a helping of Mrs. Jaeger's fresh batch of biscuits. The adults gathered around the dinner table, discussing subjects that were little interest to the two children that were seated near the window munching away at their biscuits, watching the neighborhood blend into night's darkness and the development of twinkling stars shining high in the night sky.  _

_ The two children didn't share many words amongst each other, mainly Armin being too intimidated by Mikasa’s unsettling silence. But the boy attempted some small talk, though the responses he'd receive would end flatly with a single word from the girl; which would delay the blonde's next question by more and more.  _

_ By now the full moon was hidden behind clumps of clouds, shunning the natural satellite from reflecting light onto the darkened planet. Their hands licked clean of any crumbs remaining from the flour-based good. Armin's eyes glanced towards the girl that stared vacantly at the empty neighborhood; a question played in his mind and yet he couldn't make his body follow his command.  _

_ The blonde parted his dry lips, fumbling with his words as Mikasa stared at him with blase anticipation. _

_ "M-Mikasa," He forced pathetically. "Wh-why...why did you help me?...why did you even bother? All it ended up with was with you getting suspended, and I doubt those guys are going to let me off the hook; they'll probably want some form of vengeance-" _

_ Armin was cut off from his longest sentence for Mikasa when she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look into her black eyes livid with resolute.  _

_ "Don't say that." She commanded, tightening her grasp on the boy. "Never say that. You are better than them, don't let them toss you around anymore." _

_ Armin, stunned at the girl's words, fell into a blubbering mess. "B-but I  _ can't _! That's the  _ reason _ they picked on me in the first place! I can't fight back! I'm weak, I'm pathetic!" _

_ "Then I'll just have to protect you," Mikasa replied calmly.  _

_ Armin froze.  _

_ "If those three think they can degrade you more than they have already, they're mistaken." _

_ The boy stared at her in disbelief, his wide eyes ignoring the trickling of salty tears as he bowed his head.  _

_ "Thank you...thank you, Mikasa..." _

  
  


_ "...my  _ best _ friend." _

Mikasa bore her fresh pair of blades into the nape of a blonde eleven-meter. A chunk of the titan's neck flew off, sending the being crashing down onto the wet streets below to deteriorate into mushy ash and bones. The cadet landed on a rooftop just before the now deceased titan withering away.  

As the rain poured down, the bell from above the evacuation gate rang, declaring it's victory of civilian removal from the district as the gates finally sealed. Mikasa heard the ever familiar whirling of metal wires grow closer to her before a thud sent vibrations throughout the shingles of the roof. 

“We’re withdrawing Ackerman." Ian Dietrich commanded to the teen. "Climb up the wall.”

The stoic girl disregarded her superior's; only turned and corrected; “I'll support the vanguard’s withdrawal.” 

She went off zooming through the empty streets without hesitation. The tiny prickles of cold rain stung her face as she sped forward, but she ignored it. She ignored the frigid rain, her damp uniform and red scarf, and the objections of the elite Garrison in the far behind her. Mikasa carried onward, her mind fixated only on one thing, one person. 

“Armin, stay alive wherever you are. I’m coming.” 

_ \----- _

_ “AAUUUUUGGHHHH!” _

The hoarse wail of the dismembered girl sent grievous chills through the petrified blonde confined to the rooftops of a building nearby. His eyes dilated the louder her screams grew, at the grotesque crunching of bones and flesh against the teeth of the pair small-class titans that feasted on the girl's limbs as if it were a picnic, her cries going ignored by the miniature behemoths. 

_ "No, PLEASE!" _

This was all his fault; he filled the dying brunette's mind with false belief, only to have her sent to her unholy demise. Maybe if he kept his mouth shut, if he didn't say anything to her, the girl might have evaded this fate. The cowardice teen thought he would be helping her ease the stress if he shared Mikasa's words with her, but oh look at things now. 

_ "Agata, Clay, anyo-AAAHHHHHHHGGG!" _

Useless, he can't even get himself to stand up and help her, save her! Utterly useless! Why did everyone else have to die in the hands of titans and not him? He was incompetent, expendable! Mina, Thomas, Hannah, and -

Franz. 

Oh god, he ran off. Where is-

_ “I’m sorry Hannah!” _

Armin's head turned to the distant cries of the missing soldier. Only a few blocks from the rooftop the blonde sat stranded upon was Franz in the clutches of the very titan the swallowed Hannah whole. The heartbroken cadet squirmed in its grasp as he mourned the failed vengeance he vowed for his fallen lover. 

_ "Hannah! Hannah no, I'm sorry! I’M SORRY HANNA-" _

A sickening shiver crawled through Armin's skin as he listened to Franz' screaming bewails stopped at the sound of slurping. The cowardice cadet didn't need any more clarification than that to know that the abnormal titan finished Franz off much the same style as Hannah. 

Now the surviving teen was left to listen to the dry wails of Annette, whose left forelimb laid in-between the jaws of a plump, large-nosed three-meter titan and gnawed stub legs were being suckled upon by a scrawny-figured four-meter, who ate with hunger much like that of a starving orphan. 

Of course, the feeble cadet forced himself to look away from this twisted show. One look at the girl's state prior to now had the boy gagging till his throat threatened to split open. Perhaps another reason as to why he couldn't get himself to run and save her -  it was too late for her. 

Armin's eyes caught sight of an abnormal five-meter stumbling through the streets eagerly in pursuit to no doubt dig into the free human meal that awaited it. It wasn't long before a final blood-curdling scream ruptured from the brunette, using her vocals one final time before a nauseating snap of skin and bones ended her screams permanently. 

Armin cringed as a pang of qualm painted him, tainting him with disgust and guilt. His blue orbs stared faintly ahead, blocking out the sound of titans eating away at human fat and the unnerving tremors of immense footsteps shaking the building he knelt on. He didn't care anymore; he couldn't! Everything, everyone in an instant was gone. There's nothing that can undo the attacks inflicted on them by the titans; they were powerless, destined as titan chow as Jean stated.

So when a titan donning a scruffy, pewter-beard approached the roof the blonde resided on, the boy didn't bother screaming or letting his adrenaline carry him out of there, he remained defeated, allowing the falsely-smiling behemoth the pleasure of an easy catch. 

Armin was plucked from the collar of his uniform and raised high in the air right over the titan's gaping maw. A vortex of darkness awaited the boy with overflowing drool flowed down like a waterfall into its pitless stomach. The foul-stench that limited from being's mouth and the crimson hue on the creature's yellow-tinted teeth was enough to snap Armin from his limp trance for a brief moment of sentience before the large fingers holding him up were released, sending the blonde straight down into the titan's gullet. 

As the blonde fell downward, feeling his golden locks slap into his face like fearful, scampering cats, a great force was applied to his body, halting the small figure in the air with pain emitting from his abdomen and back making it painful to bring air into his hyperventilating body. So much force was applied, in fact, that the boy feared his ribs would shatter with him shortly in tow. 

Though his body weak from shock and the overbearing pressure being utilized all at once, Armin peeled his eyes opened to view the city of Trost still infested by lumbering titans and bloodshed. Before him, or rather a few feet below him, he saw the falsely-smiling titan staring upward with his mouth agape like a young hatchling awaiting the arrival of a mother bird's catch to enter its maw. Did it think it was still swallowing the boy, or was it patiently waiting for him to plummet down to the earth from his perched position?  

_ From his perched position? _ How did Armin even get up here? Did someone maneuver their way right past the titan's jaws to save him? Why bother; he wasn't valuable, he wasn't worth being saved! So who would've-

A heavy exhale of steam sliced through the still air, tickling Armin's back with moisture sticking to his jacket. The cowardice boy stiffened like a deer in headlights as he began to take in his surroundings. Heat, heat was being transmitted into him by large, powerful hands holding him high in the air just nearly above the bearded titan. 

Ever slowly, Armin turned his head to the direction of the running steam to meet the piercing emerald eyes of a fifteen-meter titan. Armin's blood ran cold as the behemoth stared intently at him, parting its lipless, serrated incisor, releasing a newly formed cloud of vapor directly into the blonde's face. 

The titan was a monstrosity; more terrifying than a regular titan with it's exposed teeth that could easily split him in half. Two elf-like ears twitched in the air, perhaps sensing Armin's almost inaudible gasps for air as he hyperventilated once more. 

But what installed more fear into the teen were those life-like eyes that the beast possessed. From all accounts, soldiers in the Survey Corps had with titans, the one distinct feature that the giants all shared were the dull, banal eyes that lacked life or interests besides that of humans. But this one, why were its eyes so different? Why did it resemble human?

Why does it matter - the teen choked to himself - you're going to die, so why waste your last moments pondering something that doesn't even matter? It's most likely just an abnormal of sorts. Oh god, why was it still staring at him? Why wouldn't it just get on with eating him already?! The world wouldn't have to worry about him anymore, just an irrelevant, expendable human being.

Armin released a shrill shriek as the bearded titan lounged itself to the fifteen-meter's side. And like a small toddler, it flailed its digits around in an effort to grab at its desired treat just beyond its reach upon the shelf. The trainee took on a pale cover as the giant hand holding him up began to swing him back and forth, keeping the small human away from the clutches of the elderly-looking titan. From afar, it must have been a hilarious sight. Two double-digit-meter titans grappling against one another resembled two siblings squabbling over a toy of sorts. 

But the seemingly childish squabbling quickly escalated when a deep, enraged roar tore through the elf-eared titan’s maw. The mighty cry rang throughout the abandoned district for all to hear, perhaps even reaching the outlines of Wall Rose; but that's only speculation for now. Armin scarcely had time to react when he was swiftly placed into the dark-haired titan's right hand and barely caught witness to the fifteen-meter's now free hand slammed at full force into the bearded titan's skull. A damp crunch of bone filled the now still air as the elderly titan slumped lifelessly to the ground. Vapor and steam slowly rose from the giant form, slowly disintegrating the behemoth into a pile of charred bones and ash. The latter's blow must have snapped the nape in two or pulverized it entirely. Armin's gaze resided locked on the deceased titan before shifting his contracted orbs to the dark-haired titan's blood-caked hand. 

...this titan just killed its own kind! But that didn't make any sense! It was stated by elite Scouts and Section Commander Hanji Zoe that titans could only react to the presence and scent of humans, their only driving source.  However, on rare accounts, the Scouting Legion did record unusual occurrences of abnormals showing signs of… consciousness. Interacting with other titans and singularly with horses, buildings, and the environment was just a list of the bizarre things abnormals typically showed awareness to during this state before snapping back into typical titan behavior. It's as if abnormals would switch from their mindless, iconic personas, into sentient beings. 

No; now wasn’t the time to reflect on classes at the Trainee Corp, he was now in the clutches of undoubtedly an abnormal. Who knows when the titan would snap back into its carnivorous state and devour him whole; shredding his bones and flesh into a grounded pile of unrecognizable bloody mush.  

Armin flinched as he was brought eye-leveled to the titan's fearsome face. A chill ran through the blonde as he was forced to stare into the human-like emerald irises of the giant. A low grumble emitted from the titan's maw as it squinted, causing it to furrow its brow like a confused toddler. It brought the boy closer to its face, but not towards its serrated jaw, but closer to its eyes.

Then it dawned on Armin. The titan - this abnormal - it was studying him,  _ examining _ him. 

The boy felt his soul leap as large eyes embedded in him. He choked on his breath as the elf-eared behemoth sniffed every inch of his frame, leaving him feeling heavy. He gagged when the titan's dissipating blood-stained fingers probed at his golden hair, tainting them briefly before evaporating into the air. 

Amin had no idea how much time passed since this abnormal decided to analyze him or how he managed to keep himself from exploding into a fit of hysteria throughout this time. It felt like his mind and soul had drifted from him, or hid away in the back of his head from their responsibilities, leaving him to fend for himself. 

And so the soldier did. He let his unmanly shrieks ring through the city of Trost. He ignored the pain his voice issued to his ear and his throat and continued - terrified of the fate that would finally bestow him at any moment's notice.  

Only, he did not meet the cavernous mouth of a titan. Instead, he found himself roughly dropped onto the rooftop of one of the buildings below. He clutched his sides that would no doubt start to develop bruises from the sudden impact and moaned; his mind temporarily oblivious to giant threat still lingering behind him; if you could even call it much of a threat with a straight face. 

The abnormal titan cowered warily from the blonde cadet in fear. Its hands encased it's pointed ears, no undoubtedly to insulate any further compelling sound the smaller being would produce without any warning. Like a kicked puppy, the titan whined and cowered further. It gawked at the blonde human one last time before carefully maneuvering itself around the row of stone apartments and began its aimless wandering through the overrun district; leaving the cowardice blonde all alone upon a rooftop in the middle of a titan infected city. 

 


End file.
